It's Cody's 11th Adoption/"Gotcha" Day!!!

Where in the world has the time gone?

I can barely believe that today we are celebrating Cody's ELEVENTH Adoption/Gotcha Day.

On July 28th, 2007 (which happened to also be a Saturday), I adopted Cody, "the cat formerly known as Prince", from an adoption drive at our local Petco which ironically CLOSED a mere TWO weeks after I adopted him. 

Cody as a baby before his eyes turned green

I had attended the adoption drive with a girlfriend, I had NO INTENTIONS of adopting a cat that day because my beloved 18 year old Angel Bobo had gone to the bridge on July 2nd, 2007, just a few weeks before I adopted Cody. I simply went to get a "cat fix" because I missed my Bobo terribly.  A few weeks earlier I had visited  the SAME Petco. I recalled seeing Cody that day, but since I was never drawn to gray kitties, and I was too sad about Bobo, I left. Two weeks later on July 28th I was there again. It was Cody's litter mates who most attracted me because they most resembled my Bobo. Those kitties had other plans, neither of them were interested in ME.

Cody as a kitten before his eyes turned green!

My eyes fell on the gray kitten again who was merrily jumping, hopping and cavorting in the back of the cage. I looked at his foster mom and said "May I please see the gray one?" She handed me that little fluff ball, I sat down on a chair, Cody looked at me and crawled up my chest......he made NO EFFORT to leave. That was it. I sat in that chair petting him and talking to him for at least a half hour.

His foster Mom said he was her favorite and that is why she called him "Prince." He was a lover boy and a cuddle bug, he still is. 

Cody and I on his adoption day July 28th, 2007

 Then I called my husband and said, "I found a special cat and I am adopting him, I will be home to get his carrier and then I am coming back to get him." My husband thought I was nuts, that it was too soon after Bobo leaving us. I told him I KNEW that this cat was special, I knew in my heart I was right.

When I brought Cody home and opened the carrier the little shit (yes, little shit), I called him that because there wasn't an ounce of fear in his body. He didn't hide, nope, never. He came out of the carrier and strutted around the living room checking out his new digs with his little pot belly (which he still has), acting as if he owned the place. From that moment, Cody was "home."

I had always thought there would never be another cat that I would love as much as I loved my Bobo, and for the first year or so of Cody's life I felt guilty because of my constant comparisons to Bobo which often put Cody in a lesser light.

Cody in 2010

As the years have gone by, I can say that I COMPLETELY love Cody as much as I loved my Bobo, but in a different way. They are DIFFERENT CATS. My Bobo was fearful, timid, non-trusting, but he was devoted to ME.

Cody is FEARLESS, easy-going, a cuddler, hilarious, insistent, determined and far less devoted to me than Bobo was. I attribute that to the fact that Bobo was the "only" pet for his entire 18 years of life, Cody had my husband AND me, and then the following October Dakota came to live with us. Cody had others instead of just me to give him attention.

 Truth be told there are MANY times Cody is much more obsessed with my husband than he is with me, and yep, sometimes I get pangs of jealousy because after all, I am "team cat" and my husband is more "team dog", but my husband and Cody DO share a special bond which makes me happy.

I have no reason to doubt Cody's love though, he has his own rituals with each of us, and every night when I am on the couch watching TV, Cody sits next to me to be petted and to have me cooing and fussing over him.I am also the one he seeks out for playtime and the one he KNOWS will give him tastes of chicken from my dinner.

Today, as we celebrate Cody's Adoption/"Gotcha Day" I am forever grateful that I returned to that Petco and decided to pick up that playful gray bundle of fur. I am forever grateful that Cody virtually chose ME, he clung to me that day and has given me the greatest gift I could ever hope to have. Cody has given me the gift of his silliness, his cuddly ways, even his irritating habits that drive me insane, but more importantly, he has given me his trust and ALWAYS his LOVE.  I love you my crazy "Codester", I stopped comparing you to Bobo years ago. YOU are unique, you are precious, you helped heal my broken heart, you make me laugh and smile more than you know. You are equally as special, YOU are loved more than you could imagine. There will never be another kitty like you.....never. Thank you for choosing ME to share your life with.  I LOVE YOU. "Mom"